Still insisting on his innocence after serving a five year sentence for sexually assaulting his two daughters, Anne-Marie and Jeannie, former super middleweight champion Dave Hilton Jr. was released from a medium-security prison north of Montreal to an undisclosed halfway house on Monday.

Hilton was convicted in March 2001 of nine sex-related charges involving his daughters. The abuse began in 1995 when they were 12 years old and continued for three years. He was also stripped of his WBC title when the court’s verdict was announced.

When granting parole, The National Parole Board likes its parolees to fess up, to come clean, and expressed concern that Hilton continues to deny the incidents ever took place. As a result, the Board said Hilton must take part in a program for sexual offenders in denial.

In addition, Hilton cannot be alone with females under the age of 18 without the presence of a “responsible” adult. He must also have zero contact with his daughters and abstain from ingesting any behavior- and/or mind-altering substances.

Shortly after his release yesterday, Hilton visited his father’s boxing club where he hugged his family members and their children, at least those who hadn’t rejected him or fled in fear, and where he reiterated that the most difficult thing for him was “being accused of these charges.”

Not only are his daughters and ex-wife and the citizens of Canada and several boxing writers angry at his release (he served two-thirds of his sentence); it seems Hilton, albeit for different reasons, is angry as well. “I mean the anger that’s in there is hard to get rid of, he said. I figure, after two years, three years, it’d be gone, but it’s not.

Hilton admitted he’s angry at the justice system, his failed marriage, and “the mistakes I made,” but he said he’s happy I’m out of jail. It feels bizarre being in jail and being in prison for five years and then coming out into the streets. Everyone has their opinion, the one-time champion conceded. [But] I know what happened.